Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy

GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY. It is the policy of Scuola Piccoli Italiani di Boston Inc. (“Scuola PIB”) to maintain a learning and working environment that is free from harassment, discrimination and violence based on age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, personal appearance, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation. The Scuola PIB prohibits any form of such harassment, discrimination and violence. It shall be a violation of this policy for any pupil, pupil’s parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel of the Scuola PIB to harass a pupil, pupil’s parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel as defined by this policy. (For purposes of this policy, school personnel include school board members, school employees, agents, volunteers, contractors or persons subject to the supervision and control of the Scuola PIB.) The Scuola PIB will act to investigate all complaints, formal or informal, verbal or written, of harassment, discrimination or violence, and to take appropriate consequent actions.

HARASSMENT DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE DEFINED.
a. Sexual Harassment: Definition. Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical conduct or other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature especially when: (i) submission to that conduct or communication is made a term or condition, either explicitly or implicitly, of obtaining or retaining employment, or of obtaining an education; or (ii) submission to or rejection of that conduct or communication by an individual is used as a factor in decisions affecting that individual’s employment or education; or (iii) that conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s employment or education, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive employment or educational environment.
b. Other Harassment, Discrimination and Violence: Definition. Harassment, discrimination or violence consists of physical or verbal conduct or aggression relating to an individual’s age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, personal appearance, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation when the conduct: (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment; (ii) has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance; or (iii) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment or academic or school opportunities.

REPORTING PROCEDURES. Any person who believes he or she has been the victim of harassment, discrimination or violence by a pupil, pupil’s parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel of the Scuola PIB, or any person with knowledge or belief of conduct which may constitute harassment, discrimination or violence toward a pupil, pupil’s parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel should report the alleged acts immediately to an appropriate Scuola PIB official designated by this policy. The Scuola PIB encourages the reporting party or complainant to use a written report, but oral reports shall be considered complaints as well. Nothing in this policy shall prevent any person from reporting harassment, discrimination or violence directly to competent authorities outside Scuola PIB.
a. The School Board hereby designates the President as the Scuola PIB Human Rights Officer to receive reports or complaints of religious, racial or sexual harassment or violence. If the complaint involves a Human Rights Officer, the complaint shall be filed with a Board Member.
b. If the report was given verbally, the Human Rights Officer or Board Member shall personally reduce it to written form within 24 hours. Use of formal reporting forms is not mandatory.
c. Submission of a good faith complaint or report of religious, racial or sexual harassment or violence will not affect the complainant or reporter’s future employment, grades or work assignments. The Scuola PIB will discipline or take appropriate action against any pupil, pupil’s parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel who retaliates against any person who reports or testifies in relation to harassment, discrimination or violence episodes.
d. The Scuola PIB will respect the privacy of the complainant, the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed, and the witnesses as much as possible, consistent with the Scuola PIB’s legal obligations to investigate, to take appropriate action, and to conform to any discovery or disclosure obligations.

INVESTIGATION. By authority of the Scuola PIB, the Human Rights Officer, upon receipt of a report or complaint alleging religious, racial or sexual harassment or violence, shall immediately undertake or authorize an investigation. In determining whether alleged conduct constitutes a violation of this policy, the Scuola PIB should consider the surrounding circumstances, the nature of the behavior, past incidents or past or continuing patterns of behavior, the relationships between the parties involved and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. Whether a particular action or incident constitutes a violation of this policy requires a determination based on all the facts and surrounding circumstances. The Scuola PIB Human Rights Officer shall make a written report to the Board upon completion of the investigation. The report shall include a determination of whether the allegations have been substantiated as factual and whether they appear to be violations of this policy.

SCUOLA PIB ACTION.
a. Upon receipt of a report, the Scuola PIB will take appropriate action. Such action may include, but is not limited to: warning, suspension, exclusion, expulsion, transfer, remediation, termination or discharge.
b. The result of the Scuola PIB’s investigation of each complaint filed under these procedures will be reported in writing to the complainant by the Scuola PIB.

RIGHT TO ALTERNATIVE COMPLAINT PROCEDURES These procedures do not deny the right of any individual to pursue other avenues of recourse which may include filing charges with the appropriate Massachusetts State Department, initiating civil action or seeking redress under state criminal statutes and/or federal law.

DISSEMINATION OF POLICY AND TRAINING This policy shall be shared with Scuola PIB personnel and made available to pupils and pupils’ parents upon request